Wachusett left with no finalists for schools' top job

Both superintendent finalists for the Wachusett Regional School District withdrew their names from consideration for the post Tuesday.

And at a special meeting Tuesday night of the Wachusett Regional School Committee, a motion to name district Director of Operations Darryll McCall as a finalist was withdrawn, leaving the committee with no candidates — and no superintendent as of Aug. 31.

School committee Chairman Duncan Leith recommended that the search for a new superintendent be left to the next school committee, which will have at least six new members following the annual town elections in the district later this month. However, the board took no action on the recommendation.

“What we should do is let the new members have their say,” Mr. Leith said.

Susan Sullivan, director of human resources and clerk of the ad-hoc superintendent search committee, said she plans to file an Open Meeting Law violation complaint related to the search committee’s deliberations and decision. The complaint was unanimously supported by the full committee.

Interim Superintendent Anthony Gasbarro assumed his role in December, following the resignation of Thomas Pandiscio. Mr. Gasbarro was hired to be interim superintendent through June 30, but indicated he would stay on through Aug. 31, if necessary.

“We have received letters or emails from both candidates indicating that they feel it was better to withdraw their names from consideration,” Steven Hammond, chairman of the district’s superintendent search committee, said.

After the two finalists, Paul Schlichtman, coordinator for research, testing and assessment for the Lowell public schools, and Casey Handfield, principal at Auburn High School, were named last week, some School Department staff, community and school committee members took to social media to make a case to add Mr. McCall to the list of finalists.

Mrs. Sullivan’s complaint alleges that a member or members provided information from the executive session deliberations and votes to other members of the school committee and members of the office staff in direct violation of the committee’s explicit procedures regarding notifying the candidates. By forwarding the complaint to the attorney general’s office, an investigation is expected to take place.

Mr. Handfield’s letter of withdrawal, which was read into the record at the meeting, states that the “highly politicized nature of an internal candidate not being sent forward as a finalist, coupled with the actions taken by the supporters of the internal candidate to be added as a finalist, has caused me to conclude that it would be extremely difficult to work with the Wachusett Regional School Committee in any meaningful manner.”

Mr. Schlichtman, who resigned by email, said he withdrew his name to preserve the integrity of the search process. His email was not read at Tuesday night’s meeting.

“The email that I sent said, ‘It is my understanding that the other candidate has withdrawn his name, and in that context, I feel compelled to withdraw my name,’” Mr. Schlichtman said. “You can’t have a search process with only one candidate.”

Mr. Schlichtman said he was still interested in working for the Wachusett school district, and that if there is another superintendent search process, he would apply.

“I enjoying meeting the committee, and I would be honored to work with them,” he said.

Although a special meeting does not usually have a period of public comment, because the room Tuesday night was filled with nearly 100 teachers, staff and community members, the school committee voted to allow public comment, after the news of the two candidates’ withdrawal from consideration was announced.

Jason Hilton, a social studies teacher at the high school and Holden resident, chastised the committee.

“I am disappointed and frustrated by the lack of leadership this committee has shown since the crisis last August,” he said. “This is the single most important decision this board has to make over the next several years. You need to get it right, and from what I’ve seen, you’re not.”